Every year celebrities and film junkies from around the world flock to Park City for the infamous Sundance Film Festival. Many people come to see if they can grab a picture with their favorit celebrity, or catch one of the popular films of the year. It is two week long party up in Park City. And as much as we love the attention…the town is a bit more crowded than what we are used to. It is fun to see a film or two during the festival, but we skiers like to do Sundance a little differently.
Yes, it might be easiest to stay out of Park City and avoid the crowds during the film festival. That is what many people end up doing. But, one of the best kept secrets about the Sundance is that during the festival, the Park City resorts are empty! It is like a ghost town on the mountain. You have the whole resort to yourself and there is absolutely nothing better. Here are some tips for skiing the three different Park City resorts:
Skiing Deer Valley:
Are you wanting to enjoy the luxuries of this world class resort without having to deal with the crowds? Here is how it is done. First, buy your discount lift tickets in the valley at one of the Ski ‘N See or Arcs shops. Tickets are available at all of our stores except for the Park City and Deer Valley shops (but you are going to want to avoid driving around Park City anyways). Once you have your tickets, drive straight to the Mayflower entrance of Deer Valley (on the Jordanelle side). Many people don’t know that you can enter the resort from this side. You will avoid all Sundance crowds and be able to get to the mountain without any hassle. Once you are on the mountain, stay there! Don’t try to go into town for lunch. Either bring food with you, or eat at one of the many great restaurants Deer Valley has on the mountain.
Skiing Park City Mountain Resort:
This one is a little trickier. Like we recommended for Deer Valley, make sure to stop by one of Ski ‘N See or Arcs Salt Lake locations to pick up your discount lift tickets before you head up to Park City to avoid hassle. Then, start making your way to the mountain. You will most likely run into traffic on your way to PCMR, but don’t let that stop you! The great thing about Film Festival, is that they block off all resort parking for skiers. Once you get to the parking lot, it will be easy to find front row parking and you won’t have to deal with anymore crowds! Much like Deer Valley, you will find the mountain very empty. Enjoy a nice, low-key, day on the slopes! And again, stay on the mountain for lunch. You can always take Town Lift to Main Street for lunch, but be warned that it will be packed. Best to just stay on the mountain unless you want to spend a good amount of time sitting around on Main Street doing some people watching (which can honestly be pretty fun during Sundance). You are also going to want to try and leave the resort before 3:00. That way you can avoid heavy traffic on your way home.
Skiing Canyons:
Want to enjoy Utah’s largest ski resort? The Sundance Film Festival is a great time to check out Canyons Resort. Luckily, Canyons is far enough away from town that the traffic won’t be bad getting to the resort. However, you should still grab you discount lift tickets at Ski ‘N See before you head up. You will be able to skip the ticket office and head straight to the lifts (not to mention that you will save almost $20 on your ticket). You’ll find that Canyons is just as empty as the other two Park City resorts. As long as you stay on the mountain and away from town, you will be able to enjoy no lift-lines and wide open slopes!
After spending the day on the slopes, if you are feeling ambitious, go brave the crowds and catch a show at The Egyptian. The town will be packed, but it can be fun to see Park City so lively and full of energy. And who knows, if you’re lucky, you may brush shoulders with a celebrity.
